Djibouti, small strategically located country on the northeast coast of the Horn of Africa. It is situated on the Bab el Mandeb Strait, which lies to the east and separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden.

Formerly known as French Somaliland (1896–1967) and the French Territory of the Afars and Issas (1967–77), the country took Djibouti as its name when it gained independence from France on June 27, 1977. Djibouti’s capital, Djibouti city, is built on coral reefs that jut into the southern entrance of the gulf; other major towns are Obock, Tadjoura, Ali Sabieh, Arta, and Dikhil.

The country’s Lilliputian aspect belies its regional and geopolitical importance. The capital is the site of a modern deepwater port that serves Indian Ocean and Red Sea traffic and hosts a French naval base. Djibouti city is also the railhead for the only line serving Addis Ababa, the capital of neighbouring Ethiopia.

The landscape of Djibouti is varied and extreme, ranging from rugged mountains in the north to a series of low desert plains separated by parallel plateaus in the west and south. Its highest peak is Mount Moussa at 6,654 feet (2,028 metres); the lowest point, which is also the lowest in Africa, is the saline Lake Assal, 509 feet (155 metres) below sea level.

The country is internationally renowned as a geologic treasure trove. Located at a triple juncture of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African rift systems, the country hosts significant seismic and geothermal activity. Slight tremors are frequent, and much of the terrain is littered with basalt from past volcanic activity. In November 1978 the eruption of the Ardoukoba volcano, complete with spectacular lava flows, attracted the attention of volcanologists worldwide. Of particular interest was the tremendous seismic activity that accompanied the eruption and led to the widening by more than a metre of the plates between Africa and the Arabian peninsula.

Drainage

Besides Lake Assal, the other major inland body of water is Lake Abbe, located on Djibouti’s southwestern border with Ethiopia. The country is completely devoid of any permanent above-ground rivers, although some subterranean rivers exist.

Climate

The often torrid climate varies between two major seasons. The cool season lasts from October to April and typifies a Mediterranean-style climate in which temperatures range from the low 70s to the mid-80s F (low 20s to low 30s C) with low humidity. The hot season lasts from May to September. Temperatures increase as the hot khamsin wind blows off the inland desert, and they range from an average low in the mid-80s F (low 30s C) to a stifling high in the low 110s F (mid-40s C). This time of year is also noted for days in which humidity is at its highest. Among the coolest areas in the country is the Day Forest, which is located at a high elevation; temperatures in the low to mid-50s F (low to mid-10s C) have been recorded.

The average annual precipitation is limited and is usually spread over 26 days. Different regions of the country receive varying amounts of precipitation: the coastal regions receive 5 inches (130 mm) of rainfall per annum, while the northern and mountainous portions of the country receive about 15 inches (380 mm). The rainy season lasts between January and March, with the majority of precipitation falling in quick, short bursts. One outcome of this erratic rainfall pattern is periodic flash floods that devastate those areas located at sea level.

Plant and animal life

Despite Djibouti’s relatively harsh landscape, abundances of flora and fauna abound. In the northern portion of the country, one finds the ancient Day Forest National Park and a variety of tree species, such as jujube, fig, olive, juniper, and momosa. To the south and southwest of the Gulf of Tadjoura, the vegetation is similar to that found in other arid regions of Africa, inclusive of acacia and doum palm trees. Among the types of fauna are a wide variety of bird species, numerous types of antelopes and gazelles, and more limited numbers of carnivores (such as cheetahs) and scavengers (such as hyenas), as well as monkeys, squirrels, and warthogs. Perhaps most spectacular is the extremely rich diversity of marine life found along Djibouti’s coastline and coral reefs, a factor that has made the country a special point of interest for international scuba-diving associations.

People

Ethnic groups

On the basis of linguistic criteria, the two largest ethnic groups are the Somali and the Afar. Both groups speak related, but not mutually intelligible, eastern Cushitic languages.

The Afar (Denakil, or Danakil) speak a language that forms a dialect continuum with Saho. Saho-Afar is usually classified as an Eastern Cushitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language phylum. The Afar live in the sparsely populated areas to the west and north of the Gulf of Tadjoura. This region includes parts of several former as well as extant Afar sultanates. The sultans’ roles are now largely ceremonial, and the social divisions within the traditional Afar hierarchy are of diminished importance. The Afar are also found across the border in neighbouring Ethiopia. Their population distribution in the two countries forms a pattern that is somewhat elongated and triangular in shape and is often referred to as the “Afar triangle.”

The Somali, who also speak an Eastern Cushitic language, are concentrated in the capital and the southeastern quarter of the country. Their social identity is determined by clan-family membership. More than half the Somali belong to the Issa, whose numbers exceed those of the Afar; the remaining Somali are predominately members of the Gadaboursi and Isaaq clans that migrated from northern Somalia during the 20th century to work on the construction of the Djibouti–Addis Ababa railway and Djibouti city’s port expansion.

Djibouti city is home to a long-established community of Yemeni Arabs and houses a sizable contingent of French technical advisers and military personnel. In recent decades these groups have been joined by small but significant numbers of ethnic Ethiopians as well as Greek and Italian expatriates.

Language

The republic recognizes two official languages: French and Arabic. However, Somali is the most widely spoken language, although it is rarely written and is not taught in the schools. The use of Afar is mostly restricted to Afar areas. Many Djiboutians are multilingual.

Fluency in French is particularly important for those with political aspirations. French is the means of instruction in primary and secondary schools, although Arabic is also taught as the first language at both these levels.

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